Chapter 37 The Lively Scene (1)
Li Xiaoxiao carried the unconscious Meng Guanqi on her back and carefully retreated. Just as she was about to leave this place of trouble, she took a step back.
Wouldn't it be a shame to leave like this? Why not stay and watch the excitement?
Her eyes darted around, and she carried Meng Guanqi to the servants' quarters across the street, ripped open the lock, and pushed the door open to go inside.
This is where the servants of visiting guests lived. It seems no one has lived here for a long time, as the room was full of dust and had a musty smell.
Li Xiaoxiao felt that it was inappropriate to put the clean Meng Guanqi anywhere, so she finally pulled the quilt on the bed, shook it out, turned it over and spread it out before putting Meng Guanqi on the bed.
After settling the young master in, she cut a hole in the paper covering the door, intending to watch the commotion from there.
Hmm, not bad. The view from here is perfect, right in front of Mingyue Hall. Once Young Master Lu is done, she'll make a big fuss and attract everyone here, so that the guests attending Madam Zheng's birthday banquet today can have a good look at Young Master Lu's style. It'll be quite a spectacle.
Meng Guanqi, lying on the bed, suddenly let out a groan.
Li Xiaoxiao glanced outside and noticed that Young Master Lu hadn't arrived yet. She ran to the bedside and called to Meng Guanqi, "Young Master, Young Master? Are you awake?"
Meng Guanqi's eyelids were twitching violently, but he couldn't open his eyes.
It seems the effects of the medicine haven't worn off yet.
However, Li Xiaoxiao had a solution.
When she was about to leave this morning, the lady gave her a hairpin. She reached out and plucked it, wiped the pointed end on her clothes, then pinched Meng Guanqi's slender fingers until the fingertips were engorged with blood, and stuck the hairpin in.
Blood spurted out, dripping onto the ground. Meng Guanqi shuddered in pain and his eyes snapped open.
For someone under the influence of a sedative drug, bleeding from the fingertips is very effective. Since the ten fingers are connected to the heart, the severe pain will quickly dissipate and the dizziness will subside. Moreover, after some blood is released, the effect of the sedative drug will also be reduced.
Seeing that he had opened his eyes, but his gaze was still not very clear, Li Xiaoxiao switched to another finger and inserted the hairpin again.
Meng Guanqi jerked his hand back, finally fully waking up.
Li Xiaoxiao held his fingers tightly: "Wait a minute, I'll squeeze out a little more blood, and you'll wake up soon."
Meng Guanqi felt her hand constantly squeezing the wound, and drops of blood from her fingertips fell to the ground. Miraculously, his mind became clearer and clearer.
Seeing that his reaction had returned to normal, Li Xiaoxiao wiped the hairpin on her clothes and put it back in her hair: "Okay, do you feel better now?"
The wound wasn't deep, but because the ten fingers are connected to the heart, Meng Guanqi felt a throbbing pain in his fingertips, and the dizziness in his head slowly disappeared.
Meng Guanqi struggled to sit up: "Thank you, I'm much better now."
Actually, he wasn't very drunk; he had only been unconscious for a short while and was almost fully awake. He had heard clearly the fight between Li Xiaoxiao and Baohe, but he was too weak to even open his eyes.
He had already suspected that there was something wrong with the drink, but he didn't know who had drugged him or what their purpose was.
There was no one outside, but he wasn't an ignorant child. Since the person who drugged him wouldn't let him sleep there peacefully.
Hearing the door open, his heart leaped into his throat, and he knew he was like a lamb to the slaughter; that feeling of despair hadn't subsided.
Fortunately, it was Li Xiaoxiao who came. She helped him up, knocked Baohe unconscious, and threw him onto the bed. Meng Guanqi felt a lump in his throat, and his grievances were about to overflow.
Unfortunately, the sleeping potion couldn't make him open his eyes. Then he felt her carry him away from the house that terrified him.
But Li Xiaoxiao didn't go far. She found a house across the street and put him down. She even used a hairpin to stab him and draw blood, which made him fully awake.
He looked at her with a complicated expression. If she hadn't come today, he didn't dare to imagine what would have happened.
Which maid or young lady would lie down next to him, cause a commotion, and accuse him of molesting her in front of everyone, demanding that he marry her?
He was no ignorant child; coming from a wealthy family, he had heard plenty of such tricks from a young age.
Thankfully, it was her who came.
Fortunately, it was her who came. His heart was completely at ease, because he knew that with Li Xiaoxiao around, no one could get close to him.
He looked at her gratefully: "How did you know I'd been drugged?"
Li Xiaoxiao said, "I overheard it by accident..." She recounted what she had heard to Meng Guanqi, then glanced at Meng Guanqi and asked, "Are you awake now? How are you feeling?"
Meng Guanqi rubbed his forehead: "I'm much better now, let's leave here quickly."
He didn't want to know who had set this trap for him; he just wanted to leave this place of trouble as soon as possible to avoid being gossiped about and causing more trouble.
Li Xiaoxiao, however, was not about to let it go so easily: "Where are you going? The show hasn't even started yet..."
He was taken aback. What play?
Just as Li Xiaoxiao was about to speak, she heard a noise outside the door.
Here it comes! Her spirits lifted, and she quickly crouched down in front of the small hole she had just dug, carefully observing the other side.
Unsteady footsteps approached from behind, followed by a faint scent of ink. It was Meng Guanqi: "What are you doing?"
Li Xiaoxiao shushed her and made another hole in the door: "Keep your voice down, let's watch together."
Meng Guanqi pinched his aching fingertips and curiously looked out of the cave entrance.
Seeing the figure appear outside the door, Meng Guanqi was stunned: "It's him?"
Li Xiaoxiao glanced at him: "You know him?"
Meng Guanqi lowered his eyes, his expression inscrutable.
He recalled that a month ago he knelt at the gate of Prefect Song's house, begging for an audience. He knelt for four hours but did not see Prefect Song. Instead, he met this man named Lu Weifu.
This man's words and actions were frivolous, and his gaze was malicious, which displeased him greatly. Knowing that Prefect Song refused to see him, he used a folding fan to lift his chin as if flirting with a young lady, saying that if he needed his help, he should go to a certain building and mention his name, Lu Weifu, and he would have a way to get him to see Prefect Song.
Meng Guanqi was preoccupied with the serious illness of Magistrate Meng, and he was so dizzy from kneeling that he had no mind to pay attention to him. After failing to see Prefect Song and being unable to find a doctor, he hurriedly returned to Biyang County.
Unexpectedly, he saw him again at Madam Zheng's birthday banquet, and Lu Weifu's gaze was very strange, making him very uncomfortable.
Fortunately, he left not long after the banquet started, and he breathed a sigh of relief, not wanting to see this person again. But then he was drugged by a cup of wine and fell asleep in Mingyue Hall.
So, the one who drugged him wasn't some young lady or maid, but this Lu Weifu? What was he planning to do?
He couldn't help but peer out from the opening, because the hole that Li Xiaoxiao had made was quite close, and the two little heads were almost touching.
He couldn't help but glance at the little head beside her cheek and found that she didn't smell at all.
It's one thing to not be able to afford perfumed balm or soap, but how come she doesn't even smell of sweat? What a strange girl.
Lu Weifu had already stopped in front of Mingyue Hall, followed by a maid and a servant. Seemingly in a good mood, he instructed them, "You two go and guard the front gate. Don't let anyone in, understand? Don't let anyone disturb my enjoyment..."
Xiangyun and Acai responded in unison and quickly left.
Lu Weifu was the only one left in front of Mingyue Hall.
He straightened his clothes and pushed open the door.
Light streamed in through the open door, and Meng Guanqi could clearly see the curtains drawn on the bed where he had just been resting.
But he soon lost sight of it, because Lu Weifu immediately turned his back, his face filled with excitement and agitation, and closed the door tightly in front of him and Li Xiaoxiao.
Meng Guanqi's face turned deathly pale instantly, and his hands clenched into fists at his sides.
He came from a wealthy family with many cousins and other relatives. Many of his brothers, around the same age, were already acquainted with the world, had maids in their rooms, and even secretly brought erotic pamphlets to class to read. Meng Guanqi always adhered to the Doctrine of the Mean, as was the principle of Magistrate Meng, and would not allow himself to appear out of place. So, over time, he also read quite a few of these erotic books that he couldn't tell his parents about, regardless of whether they were boys or girls.
Therefore, he was fully aware of what Lu Weifu's actions meant.
He was so angry that he trembled all over. The effects of the medicine, which had not yet fully dissipated, seemed to take effect again, making his head spin and almost unable to stand up!
Lu Weifu, how dare he?! How dare he!
Even if he was down on his luck, he was still the son of a county magistrate and had the title of a scholar. Did Lu Weifu dare to drug him and humiliate him at will, relying on his relationship with Prefect Song, after only meeting him once?
If Li Xiaoxiao hadn't recited it, wouldn't he have been at her mercy while under the influence of the drug?
Meng Guanqi felt nauseous and could no longer hold on. He staggered a few steps, grabbed the edge of the table, and kept dry heaving.
Outside Mingyue Hall, all was quiet, as if nothing had happened.
There wasn't even a tea set in the room, let alone water.
Meng Guanqi gagged for a while, feeling as if a black fog was spreading before his eyes. He just wanted to leave this place of trouble. He pleaded softly, "Let's go, okay?"
Li Xiaoxiao pointed to the door: "Leave? You're just going to let him go like that?"
Meng Guanqi closed his eyes: "I don't want to see him." Besides, what could he do here? He had no power to fight back; he just felt disgusted.
Li Xiaoxiao replaced him with Baohe, so that when Lu Weifu found out, it would be a way for him to vent his anger.
Li Xiaoxiao squatted down in front of him, her eyes sparkling: "Don't you want to get revenge on him?"
Seeing the excited light in her eyes, he was taken aback: "You, you have a way?"
Li Xiaoxiao's eyes curved into a smile: "Of course! Let me tell you, don't think that everything will be fine just because I replaced you with Baohe. You escaped by luck today, but this guy surnamed Lu lost what he thought was his prize. Do you think he'll let you off the hook? With a knife hanging over your head all day, how can you sleep soundly?"
Meng Guanqi felt a surge of anger rising in his heart: "Tell me what to do? I'll do whatever you say."
Li smiled and said, "Guess how many people know that he's a homosexual?"
Meng Guanqi was taken aback, but quickly recovered: "Even if his family knew about this hobby, they would only keep it a secret from those in the know, absolutely daring not to let outsiders know. Firstly, it's not a respectable thing; secondly, it would affect his marriage prospects and, more importantly, his family's reputation, so—"
Li Xiaoxiao smiled and said, "So, if we fan the flames for him, make a big fuss about this, and make it known to everyone, wouldn't that help you vent your anger?"
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